SETI researcher Seth Shostak bets that we will find extraterrestrial life in the next twenty-four years, or he'll buy you a cup of coffee. At TEDxSanJoseCA, he explains why new technologies and the laws of probability make the breakthrough so likely -- and forecasts how the discovery of civilizations far more advanced than ours might affect us here on Earth.

On Dec. 21, 2012, many doomsday believers fear the apocalypse — anything from a rogue planet smashing into us to our world spinning end over end. However, the world should expect nothing more next year than the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, NASA says.

Astronomers have detected the first Earth-sized planets, which are orbiting a star similar to our own Sun. They have described their findings as the most important planets ever discovered outside our Solar System.

The Great News Network is meant to supplement your daily news sources - not replace it. It's role is to show that there is hope, people are making a difference, and that a lot of things are getting better.

Optimism is a great catalyst for making the world a better place. When we can see there is hope, then we'll be more compelled to make the effort to do our part.